While there is tremendous diversity from state to state when it comes to statutory and judge-made law in business divorce cases, business valuation principles are—with a few notable exceptions—far more homogenous.  So it makes sense to occasionally venture beyond New York’s borders to see how other courts and experts are addressing the business valuation questions that New York-based business divorces often encounter.

This week’s post looks at several recent decisions across the country concerning valuation principles and discounts.  While each case features different applicable rules and agreements, our New York readers would be wise to note the persuasive power of these cases, especially given the sometimes-thin body of New York caselaw on business valuation issues.Continue Reading Cross-Country Valuation Check-Up: Discounts, Buy-Sell Agreements, and Ambiguity Potholes

When a shareholder petitions for dissolution, many states have statutes allowing the corporation to respond by buying out the complaining shareholder. This week’s post takes a look at several recent decisions concerning buyout elections across the country.
Continue Reading A Cross-Country Road Trip of Elections to Purchase in Dissolution Proceedings

If you want to find out what can happen when an LLC agreement authorizes member removal for any or no reason but doesn’t address compensation for the terminated member’s interest, read this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading LLC Forced Buy-Out Pits Fair Value Against Fair Market Value Against Power to Amend Operating Agreement

In an unusual case, a divided California appellate panel recently grappled with the application of minority and marketability discounts in a statutory appraisal proceeding triggered by a buyout election in a proceeding brought for judicial dissolution of an LLC, where the governing statute utilizes the fair market value standard instead of the more typical fair value standard. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Statutory Buyouts and Discounts Under the Fair Market Value Standard: An Awkward Pair?

New York’s highest court last week handed down its long awaited decision in Congel v Malfitano, in which the court tackled a number of highly important issues affecting partnership dissolution and valuation cases. Get the full story in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading New York’s High Court Takes Fresh Approach to Wrongful Dissolution, Sustains Valuation Discounts, Limits Damages in Partnership Case

New Jersey’s approach to the marketability discount in statutory fair value cases has been called a “business appraiser’s nightmare.” A recent decision by a New Jersey trial court, in which it applied a 25% marketability discount to penalize a 50% owner found guilty of oppression against the other 50% owner, adds fuel to the debate. Check it out in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Has New Jersey Gone Off Its DLOM Rocker?

This week’s New York Business Divorce previews and links to the latest podcast episode of the Business Divorce Roundtable featuring an interview with business appraiser Greg Barber following publication of his intriguing article in the NY State Bar Association Journal on the hot topic of marketability discounts in statutory fair-value proceedings.
Continue Reading Marketability Discount Revisited: Interview With Greg Barber

A minority partner paid a heavy price for wrongfully dissolving the partnership in an appellate ruling last week applying a 66% minority discount — along with marketability and goodwill discounts and offsets for damages — to the value of the partner’s interest. It’s in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Partner Who Wrongfully Dissolved Partnership Hit With Whopping 66% Minority Discount